Southwest Airlines Opens Medical Transportation Grant Program Applications

Photo: Southwest Airlines

Seeking to lessen the burden of travel expenses for families facing serious illness, Southwest Airlines is taking applications from hospitals and medical transportation charities across the nation for the 2013 Medical Transportation Grant Program.

The airline will donate roundtrip airline tickets to nonprofit hospitals and medical organizations. The Medical Transportation Grant Program gives these organizations the freedom to distribute the tickets to patients who must travel for treatment based on their unique circumstances.

Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink

“We have helped make a positive difference in nearly 20,000 patients’ lives since we donated our first ticket with the Medical Transportation Grant Program more than five years ago,” said Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines’ Vice President Communication and Strategic Outreach. ”Southwest Airlines is proud to provide travel assistance to help these patients receive the medical care they need, and we hope the caring attention of our Employees and the travel assistance helps ease a little bit of the burden.”

In 2012, Southwest provided more than $2.4 million in free transportation to more than 70 hospitals and organizations nationwide for patients seeking medical treatment. The program has quadrupled the number of participating hospitals since its inception in 2007 and has donated more than 19,000 tickets to organizations in 26 states.

Last year’s program included Denver employees willing to go above and beyond in helping two children traveling to be fitted for leg be as comfortable as possible

Hospitals and medical transportation charities can apply online for a grant in Southwest’s 2013 Medical Transportation Grant Program by visiting www.southwest.com/medicalgrant.

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